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89This page: In the cozy
family room area off the
sleek custom kitchen, a
modern Mona Lisa provides
a daily reminder that “life
is beautiful” and art is as
essential as food. Opposite
page: A sumptuous serving
of glam and glitter, the
dining room is a surefire
people-pleaser.A transformation was required in Livingston—and a
deft blending too. A young professional couple’s new
home, a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch farmhouse-
style construction, had to be designed to reflect their
modern sensibilities. And actually, those sensibilities
differed.
The husband, the more design-conscious risk taker
of the pair, wanted bold colors and graffiti- and Pop-type
art. The wife, who favors muted palettes, layered textures
and architectural elements, was more focused on ensuring
warmth and comfort. Designer Karen B. Wolf ’s mission
was to marry the two aesthetics seamlessly. Working in
conjunction with Rosen Kelly Conway Architecture &
Design in Summit and John Santos of Fortis Developers
in Elizabeth, Wolf and her team had to make the home for
both spouses—and for their children, ages 8, 6 and 4.
The new house, built to look older, featured all thecharm of the classic farmhouse style with its fireplaces,
wood moldings and reclaimed wide plank floors. “Its
bones are beautiful,” says Wolf, who designed all of the
spacious home’s rooms. “We just needed to create a sense
of modern flow by opening up the space and injecting
bold pops of color, patterns and art throughout.”
The home abounds with custom touches, unique
pieces and interesting juxtapositions of styles uni-
fied by thematic use of a refined color palette, design
elements, textures and materials. “We’d worked with
Karen on our beach home and our old home, so she
knew what we’d like,” the wife explains. “Instead of
giving us lots of choices, she narrows things down to
two or three options that capture both of our different
styles to create a cohesive consistency.”
Seamless symmetry flows throughout the welcoming
home. Greeting visitors, the airy central foyer is flankedGAL.s19.ASID_WOLF.indd 89 2/28/19 1:50 PM